STORRS — Cynics of women's basketball will try to minimize everything UConn accomplishes this season with the misguided logic that a lack of competition means nothing the Huskies do, short of winning a national championship, should be taken seriously.

The Huskies' ability to tune out expectations has always been a key to their success. While it may be true that only two teams, UConn and Baylor, are capable of winning the national title, plenty of challenges lie ahead.

No. 2-ranked UConn (1-0) faces its first big road game today against a No. 16 Texas A&M team that is only two years removed from a national championship.

"You don't really know about your team until you are on the road, and you play a quality opponent on their home court," coach Geno Auriemma said. "Then you find out a little more. You get a pretty good gauge as to whether they are mature enough to put all the travel and all the other distractions aside and just play basketball. I will know a lot more a week from today than I do right now."

Last season, the Huskies struggled to close out big games, particularly at Baylor and Notre Dame. While UConn appears more focused, it relies on three sophomores and three freshmen in its nine-player rotation.

And with one of the team's veterans, Bria Hartley, still sidelined with an ankle injury, there's plenty of pressure on the young kids.

"To have a road game like this, especially early, is going to be good for us," Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis said. "It's going to allow us to grow and see where we're at right now at this point, see how much more work we have to do. And I think it's a really good early experience for the freshmen to have."

Mosqueda-Lewis played well on the road last year as a freshman, and she believes this year's freshmen, Breanna Stewart, Morgan Tuck and Moriah Jefferson, are ready for the challenge.

"They have a lot of talent, they are really smart and they are quick learners," Mosqueda-Lewis said.

Jefferson, the least heralded of the three, is from Texas, about two hours from College Station, knows all seven of the freshmen on the Texas A&M team and considers a few of them to be close friends. She has received ticket requests from 30 to 40 people.

She's also a battle-tested road warrior because she was home-schooled and her high school team, the Texas Home Educators Sports Association, didn't have a home gym.

"I've never played a home game until I came here," Jefferson said. "It was different hearing people cheer for you. Usually, you make a bucket and people are booing and going off. I think that will help me a lot because going into Texas A&M will be just like another game for me."

In search of competition, her team sometimes they traveled two hours for games, even on school nights. So playing two hours from her Glen Heights, Texas, home will feel plenty comfortable for her today no matter how hostile the Aggies fans get.

"We had to make teams and other crowds turn for us after we played," Jefferson said. "I think it will be a huge advantage for me now. I've been on the road for my whole life."

Auriemma said today's game is an important step in the development of the team.

"When you go on the road," he said, "everybody's personality starts to come out. Like who is going to be in charge of organizing things, and who is responsible for everybody being on time? On the court, who takes on more of a leadership role when you really need somebody?"

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